The UNO AAUP chapter is a non-profit professional organization whose general purpose is to maintain and advance professional standards within higher education. In doing so, we believe that we will serve the best interests of society by protecting the time-honored American tradition of academic freedom and tenure and shared institutional governance.

The UNO AAUP is an affiliate of the American Association of University Professors, whose national office is located in Washington, DC. Click here for a brief history of national AAUP.

History of the Our Chapter

The history of our chapter goes far back to the days when UNO was known as Omaha Municipal University. There are records indicating that a local chapter here was registered with national AAUP at least as far back as the 1940s. One little known fact is that early AAUP leaders were in large part responsible for the creation of the Faculty Senate on our campus. The first collectively bargained contract was signed in 1981.

Collective Bargaining

In the late 1970s faculty on our campus decided that collective bargaining was necessary. Since members of the previously existing AAUP chapter had been among the leaders of the movement toward collective bargaining, it seemed appropriate that the Chapter would also serve as the faculty's agent in the bargaining process.The first collectively bargained wage agreement was signed in 1981. After much litigation and negotiation, we signed our first full contract in 1984. Under current Nebraska law, we negotiate a new agreement on wages and working conditions every two years.